"I realized he was only human when..."

When I saw the topic "I realized he was only human when...", I laughed. I laughed because this was the exact heading I used when I was still compiling tit-bits of my life to tell a story.
My dad is a Nigerian, from Etche. He is huge, strong, agile, smart, handsome, rugged and would never be taken for granted or outsmarted. My mum died giving birth to my direct younger siblings, who happened to be twins. We were all left with our dad. He had to manage work and at the same time cater for us. When my mum was alive, he refused the services of a housemaid and my mums death did not seem to change that. He made sure we were always punctual to school, and picked up by his company's driver in due time, each day after school.
After some time of experiencing this hardship, he was supposed to get married to my step mum but masked men raided our house one day to the wedding day, and trashed everything. My dad still stood strong and tried to console my step mum. He immediately made alternative wedding plans. When they finally got married, they didn't have children for several years. That also did not wear him down, instead they paid more attention to us.
Few years after, my dad's businesses crumbled, we had to move to a small house. Everything was getting worse by the day, but he still stood his ground and rebuilt himself. My father seemed to be like a demi-god, a perfect man, at this point to me.
My step mum graciously got pregnant, and died during child birth, just like my mum. My father was shocked, but did not do anything. He did not speak or smile. He more or less became a ghost.
For months he would just sit and look into space. My heart went out to him, but I did not know how to help. I also had to take care of my younger twin siblings and other brother from my step mum.
One day, the babies started crying, so I ran up to their cradle, then I heard someone scream in pain from the direction of my dad's room. It sounded just like my dad. When I got to his room, i saw someone, sitting on the floor astride, while his massive body quaked with bitter sobs. It was my dad. He wept while I just stood there, glued to the floor.
Gently I sniffed into tears, then I realized he was only human when he cried like the twins.

- Tonye